Have You Met the Switch Witch?

Did you know? Your local school or dentist's office may be participating in a program to donate extra Halloween candy to troops overseas. Here are the local dropoff locations and dates.

Does the Switch Witch visit your home on Halloween? Wait. What? You've never met the Switch Witch? Well, let's take a few minutes to introduce her so that she can make a stop at your house this year.

On Halloween night, kids throughout the country venture out to trick-or-treat with just one goal in mind: to gather a LOT of candy. But, it is not all for them, no no no! It's true, some of that candy will comfort their bellies in the coming days, but a good chunk of it should be collected for the Switch Witch.  

It is a mystery just how much candy she wants, so it is best to err on the side of caution and leave her more than you think she requires. Halloween night, after the children have drifted off to sleep, the Switch Witch visits and collects the candy left for her by the children and switches it out with a toy!

The Switch Witch is not scary. She is a welcomed guest - maybe even a cousin of the Tooth Fairy!  

Parents love the Switch Witch because when she visits, candy can be regulated. Instead of having bags of candy for weeks, you reduce the stash to a more manageable amount. Of course, you can still allow your children to indulge as much as you would like on Halloween night, or to reserve as much as you'd like for snacking on in the coming days... but, it also allows you to stash some away for yourself, or to donate to a good cause, such as Operation Gratitude or Operation Shoebox.

Drop off extra candy at any of these area locations, or send off a package to one of the buyback-program mailing addresses below.

Dentists' Offices

Newburyport Dental Associates
37 1/2 Forrester St., Newburyport
978-462-9611
Dropoff: Nov. 1-11

Sorrento Dental 
130 County Rd., Ipswich
978-356-0602
Dropoff: Nov. 1-11

Mailing Addresses

Operation Shoebox
8360 East Highway 25

Belleview, FL 34420
Donations accepted year-round

Operation Gratitude